Põhjaka manor is located in central Estonia. Põhjaka’s restaurant was selected one of the best restaurants in Estonia, but it was closed in 2023. Põhjaka’s manor also housed a small distillery, where various flavored spirits, liqueurs and schnapps were made. London Dry type Gin is, as its name suggests, “measured 57 times, cut once”, so the 57th recipe, which finally suited the manor lords. Gin’s raw material is made from rye and distilled in Estonia. Most of the herbs are collected from the manor’s own garden. The distillation equipment is also handmade, made by Estonian blacksmiths. It is of such a size that 260 bottles are produced from one batch. At the time of writing, Põhjaka Gin is sold out in the producer’s online store and in most retailers. The price of a 50 cl bottle was €25.90.

The smell is floral and herbal, in the background there is a little of the mandatory juniper berry. The taste is very smooth but still dry, no sugar has been added. Floral aromas are also most prominent in the taste. The aftertaste also has traditional herbs, coriander and juniper berries. The taste manages to be very original, I don’t remember having tasted this kind of flower meadow firing before. Still it is very well balanced, the floral taste is not too dominating.  Distillation has also been done very well, and the handmade distillation pot seems to work nicely. The taste is so smooth that the gin is easily enjoyable on its own. The taste doesn’t really change by diluting it with water, the floral aromas are so dominant. The drink made with tonic water is soft, herbal and floral. This one you really do not want to ruin with poor quality tonic water.  Põhjaka Gin is a real artisanal product, high quality and definitely worth the price. Definitely one of the best of Estonian gins.

92/100